To be jolly fa la la la la….la la la la!
Yes…for many this time of year is joyous and wonderful and magical. But for others, it is definitely not the happiest time of year. In fact, it’s a difficult time for many. Lots of us experience heightened stress about money, family, love relationships, SAD (seasonal affective disorder) and depression. We are bombarded by happy images of what we are supposed to do or be or feel during this “wonderful” time of the year!
I think the real message of the season is sometimes lost amid all of the images and the hype about the way things are supposed to be. So what is this holiday season really about?!? Well, as I see it, it’s all about giving and gratitude.
The giving doesn’t have to be a “gift” and the gratitude does not have to be for receiving a “gift”. We can give in so many other ways. We can give our love and friendship to our friends and our family. We can give of our time and support to those who are in need. And we can give our joyful spirit to those in need of cheer.
We can also find ways to give to ourselves. We can allow ourselves the time and space to relax….to take perhaps a well needed break from our usual daily grind. Quiet time just for ourselves to read, meditate, walk, watch a movie or float away in a nice warm bubble bath. 🙂 Whatever it is…we can take time and give to ourselves without feeling that we are being selfish.
And we can be grateful for the small things. To have the time to share with those we care about and that they have the time for us, as well. We can be grateful for the busy job that can at times be frustrating but also gives us a wonderful sense of purpose and satisfaction. We can even be grateful for the cold wet weather that makes us appreciate spring and summer that much more. 🙂
There are times when bad things do happen and they are truly awful. While not always, one can often find something to be grateful for.
Joy & Love,
Goddess Mandy 🙂 XO
As always, You are very uplifting, Goddess!
Thank You Goddess for this wonderful and uplifting message on the reason for the season. Please know how grateful i am for knowing You well enough to appreciate Your full embodiment of the thoughts and gifts You mention.
Ohhhhhh melody…thank you so very much for your kind sweet comments! So glad that you found this post uplifting! I am grateful that you enjoy stopping by to read what I share. 🙂
Ohhhhhh kneel…thank you for your sweet and kind words, too!! I love that what you’ve said is so very true. So many things to be grateful for…and as you know you are certainly among them! 🙂
So true Ms Mandy!!! 100% agreed!!! This coming year I’m going to get more into dressing up as a girl and see how I look. I want to get in touch with my feminine side especially now that my masseuse talked me into buying 6 blouses as she giggled when she said this. She even tried them on during my massage as she had hot stones on my back and barrowed one of my blouses this weekend and said she will return it smelling in perfume. Also told me after holidays she will take pictures of me with her phone in blouses. I’m going to bring my makeup/lipstick/wig/ bra and see how I look as a girl and tell her I want to get in touch with my feminine side. I want her to take control over me. Do you think I should flat out tell her this or just keep things going the way they’ve been? What are your thoughts about this?
You are so awesome! Thanks Mandy. Enjoy the holidays.
Rick
This all sounds so perfect for you, Paulina!! 🙂 I really think that she must know this by now. You and she have been connected and talking about you becoming more and more girly and feminine for a pretty long time. And honestly, I really thought that she had taken control by the manner in which you’ve been describing things over the past year or more! 🙂
Awwwww Rick…thanks! So good to hear from you! I hope that you enjoy yours as well! 🙂
It’s going to happen after holidays-first part of January, she said she will take pictures of me with her phone as I’ll go to her place 30-45 minutes before she waxes me. Once she has pictures I’ll have her text them to me and share them with you and the ldw mistresses.
That sounds fabulous, Paulina!! 🙂
Good morning mistress. I absolutely love this post. Thank you for reminding us what the holidays are all about. I also understand when it’s not the happiest time of year as well having been deployed to Afghanistan during the holidays. I can’t thank you enough for bringing me out of the place I go in my mind around the holidays. And bringing me back to where I should be being thankful for all that I have.
Ohhhhh Bob…you are welcome! I am SO glad that you love this post and more especially that I could be helpful to you! That truly makes me feel so great and smile inside and out. Being thankful (grateful) is a really wonderful place to be, I think! It really does help when we put things in this perspective. Thank YOU so much for reading and sharing these sentiments with me and others!!! 🙂
This is the best thing I’ve read for a very long time! I think the secret to happiness (or at least one of the secrets) is to find joy in the small things in life as well as learning to be kind to oneself. How can we be kind to others if we can’t even be kind to ourselves? I also appreciate your letting the world know that to be a truly dominant woman is also to be a sensitive, caring woman.
Thank you so much, Ms.Catherine! So well said and I could not agree more. I feel that many people do struggle to be kind to themselves and this can indeed make it harder to be kind to others. Sensitivity and kindness are so important..YES!!! 🙂
I love this post, Mandy, as I am convinced that gratitude is the most powerful healer. I’m not a religious person, but I took to praying or just sitting in contemplation at the beach every night in the aftermath of my rebirth here in Boca. Gradually, the following prayer evolved…
Thank you, god, for everything:
Even the things I get angry about
Even the things I don’t understand
Even the things that scare me, and
Even the things that hurt.
Thank you for everything.
Almost 9 years later I still go to the beach at night (and most days!) and say this little prayer. It seems to have helped me adjust to a completely different life, and made me so much more accepting of the daily ups and downs.
I hope your Christmas is wonderful, Mandy! Huge love, Joe ????❤
Joe, this is absolutely beautiful!!! I love that you do this daily and that it has so made the difference in your life! I completely get that it would…gratitude IS such an amazing healer. I could not agree more! Thank you ever so much for reading and sharing this with me and everyone! Merry Christmas back to you, Joe. I hope that it’s happy and healthy and bright! 🙂 XO